The Facts Were These
by IWillBeThereWhereYouAre
Summary: *"I wasn't dead." He insisted. "I'm a vampire. Or, at least, I was." Twilight/Pushing Daisies crossover. Set in New Moon. AU.
1. Prologue

**This is just a teaser chapter while I finish the rest of the story. Feedback is greatly appreciated. The POVs will switch back and forth between Edward's perspective, and a narrator similar to the one in the show. This is primarily a Twilight fic, set in the middle of New Moon (so Edward has left Bella)**

**Oh. And if you haven't seen Pushing Daisies (shame on you!) I've posted a youtube link to the best summary of the show imaginable.**

Pain. It was not something I was not accustomed to. I had managed to survive over one hundred years in taciturn solitude; countless days in absolute isolation. The pain of that desperation was my constant companion for many years.

I had one taste of happiness with Bella, and now I was burning in the pyres of loneliness without her.

The pain in my chest was not solely payable to her absence. No, in my cold heart, in the simplest terms, I was a failure. My sole purpose in persuading my only love that I did not need or want her any more was for her protection. My reason for trying my hand at this tracking business, chasing Victoria across the country, was to make sure Bella would live a happy human life uninterrupted by my kind.

My tracking skills failed me when I landed here, in this little town Couer d' Couers, with no trace of Victoria. My anguish and despair caused me to stay, crippled by the forlorn feeling in the pit of my stomach.

Without Bella, I wished for nothing but absolutely miserable silence. Self-mutiliation for the bloodless.

This place was the absolute worst climate I could have ever encountered. The colors were far too vibrant, the people too animated. It was painfully obvious I had come at night, because there would be no conceivable way my secrecy could have survived in this sunny location. The unrelenting sun was, however, an ideal reason to stay indoors, engulfed in my misery.

Time blurred together, the hands on the clock slurring to the point where I did not recognize time at all. Every second passed by, and my despair intensified. Details would resurface of the worst night in my existence. The last little glimmer in her eyes, extinguishing as I told her that blasphemous lie.

With that night on repeat like some broken record, I began wishing for death. Something to end this disgusting existence of mine.

I wasn't sure how long I had been in this vegetative state—time held no interest when marking the minutes without her. I was vaguely aware of the man's thoughts as he entered my hotel room suddenly.

Apathy and misery were the only companions I had now.

I should have moved. Made it look like I was asleep, waking from a terrible dream. But my apathy paralyzed me as the man approached. I did not care as he took my wrist, took my pulse. No doubt I would be reported dead—maybe it was better if I did. They would contact Carlisle, who would fly the red-eye to retrieve me. A fake funeral would give Alice the gothic party she always wanted to plan.

Maybe it was better if Bella believed I was dead—secure her chances at a happy human life without me.

So I said nothing as the man exited the room in a hurry, probably scared by the dead man lying on the bed. I did not open my eyes in his presence, or even care to. My only wish was that I were not pretending to be dead, but to actually be in that state.

Because without Bella, there was no reason for existing.

**Reviews? It does get very interesting, I promise!**


	2. You’re either living or you’re dead

**Chapter Two – You're either living or you're dead**

It was a very rainy morning in the town of Couer d' Couers. In fact, the entire week had been composed of consistently rainy days. As a result, the townspeople had a stronger urge to stay dry than for one of the pie maker's delicious pies, and the Pie Hole experienced a decline in customers. Chuck sat in one of the many empty booths, her face pressed up against the glass. Ned stood a few feet away, watching her awed expression at the inclimate weather.

"It's such sad weather today, like the world is crying." She traced the streams of water falling down the window with her finger pressed against the glass.

"Why shouldn't it be crying? Poverty, global warming, pollution, overpopulation...there's plenty for the world to be sad about."

"Then maybe a good, long cry will help." Beauty radiated from Chuck's innocent smile. The Piemaker watched Chuck with the same awed expression she had when watching rain fall slowly outside. He found the bleakness of the gray clouds outside made him appreciate the luminous qualities his true love held even more.

Their tender moment was sharply interrupted as Emerson Cod burst noisily through the door of the Pie Hole.

"You!" He said breathlessly, pointing one long finger in Ned's direction. "You're on."

"What does that mean, I'm _on_?" Ned asked, slightly confused and still bewitched by his love for Chuck.

"I mean we've got a dead guy." He paused for a contemplative second, a small but greedy grin on his face. "A rich dead guy."

Chuck rolled her eyes. "Do you ever think about anything other than money? This man had feelings, emotions. He had a family..."

"Thinkin' about this guy's emotions is not going to pay my heating bills or put food on the table, is it?"

Chuck had no response to that. She wandered over quietly towards the closet as the Piemaker and Emerson watched her carefully. When she returned, she was holding a long black umbrella, folded neatly in her hands.

"Take this—it's raining cats and dogs out there." She was careful not to have any contact with his skin. Even though both of them wished to have a kiss goodbye, they knew how disastrous and far-reaching the consequences would be. The piemaker had to remain content with a farewell smile.

Ned jumped into the driver's seat of his car, Emerson taking shotgun without question. Before he stuck the key into ignition, he turned to Emerson with a very pressing question. "Are we going to the morgue, or a brutal crime scene? Because I'm wearing new shoes and Chuck will be upset if I ruin them at a bloody crime scene. I can run in and change, if necessary."

Emerson shook his head. "Your shoes will be fine, just drive."

Having been trained to follow simple instructions, Ned turned the key and the car roared with life. "So who's the victim? Any possible leads?"

"Not sure yet." Emerson answered quickly, in the manner of someone who has something very big to hide. "Turn up here."

"Wait, you're not sure? Usually you have an entire memoir for me." The piemaker quickly noted Emerson's sneaky expression, and realized that something was going on. "You're not telling me something. Why are you not telling me something?"

The facts were these: Emerson Cod was supposed to have spent the night in the Mermaid Motel, investigating a possible insurance fraud. But the motel room he believed to have reserved had, in fact, been occupied by a very pulse-less young man. Upon a technologically-advanced Google search, Emerson discovered that this room's occupant was the 17-year-old foster son of Dr. Carlisle Cullen, a wealthy doctor living in a small town called Forks, Washington.

"Let me get this straight. You found this guy in the hotel room by accident. You didn't call the police or the paramedics." Emerson nodded in agreement to all these statements. "How do you know he's dead?"

Emerson rolled his eyes in annoyance at the Piemaker's insinuations. "He's pale and cold. I checked for a pulse, and there was none. _That_ is the definition of being _dead_. I checked him out; turns out he's the son of a wealthy doctor in Washington. Looks to me like a drug overdose, but you can never be too careful when there's the potential for reward." With a Cheshire cat grin, he motioned for Ned to go towards motel room.

Reluctantly, Ned left the dry sanctuary of his car, and entered the pouring rain. He synchronized his watch, a normal habit when bringing back the dead, and proceeded to enter the unlocked door. Emerson stood in the doorway, partly to keep guard from any intruders, but mostly because he did not care to witness Ned's encounters with the dead.

Ned poked young Mr. Cullen in the chest, as a young boy would do to wake his sleeping friend. With a gasping breath, the bronze-haired boy awoke. "What was that?" He asked, his hands examining his body in a panic, like he were searching for his wallet.

The Piemaker felt the boy deserved an explanation. "You're dead, Edward. And I brought you back. Do you know how you died?"

"I'm not dead." The boy insisted.

"We're kind of on a timeline here. My partner found you without a pulse. By definition, you're definitely dead."

"I can assure you that I'm not _dead_." The boy insisted even more insistently.

Ned looked down at his watch, and noticed that all this arguing had devoured exactly 46 seconds. Knowing he would soon run out of time, and assuming that this was indeed an accidental overdose, he pressed his finger against the temple of the rebuffing man.

Surprisingly, he did not return to his previously deceased state. He sat up, still breathing and watching with wide eyes.

"Why aren't you dead?" The piemaker asked, bearing that same wide-eyed look of astonishment.

"Do you hear that?" He asked breathlessly, ignoring Ned's question, his hand resting on his chest. Ned exchanged confused glances with Emerson, staggered at the fact that the boy was, in fact, not dead. "Do you feel that?" Edward quickly grabbed the piemaker's hand and placed it on his chest.

"Feel what?" Ned asked, uncomfortable with this close contact. He snatched back his hand and stuck it in his pocket.

"My heart." The boy asked, in absolute wonder of the beating of his own heart. "It's beating."

"Yeah, it means you're alive." Emerson said unenthusiastically.

"No. It means I'm human."

There was a long and dramatic silence. Ned and Emerson reeled from that statement, contemplating all possible meanings of that expression.

"What do you mean, you weren't human before?" Emerson asked, finally breaking the palpable silence.

To their surprise, the boy shook his head. "Not entirely."

"What does _that_ mean?" Emerson asked with a semi-disgusted tone. He did not wish to consider all the gruesome possibilities.

"I can't tell you." Edward whispered with a pained look on his face.

"Ghost?" Ned asked, suddenly consumed by the mystery that had presented him with. Edward shook his head in disagreement, disproving that theory. "Yeti? Dragon?" Both suggestions were refuted.

"Zombie?" Emerson proposed. Edward disagreed with a scowl.

"Vampire?" Ned merely suggested as a joke, a subject he found to be very laughable. Even with his supernatural gift, the idea of vampires and other mythical creatures was an absolute fantasy.

The boy did not laugh. He did not shake his head, or give any kind of refusal.

"So you're a vampire?"

"I am." He whimpered. Noting his newfound pulse, he quickly amended, "Or, I used to be."

**Please review!**


	3. Nobody is “un”anything

**Chapter Three – Nobody is "un"-anything**

The pie-maker paced nervously as much as the pay phone cord would allow him to pace. He was explaining to Chuck, who was not allowed to come on this case per Emerson Cod, how the typical case had turned into the not-so-typical.

The facts were these: for 108 years, four months, three days, and seventeen minutes, Edward Anthony Masen was at the physical age of 17. Orphaned by the Spanish Influenza in Chicago, a Dr. Carlisle Cullen spared the young man from a premature death by turning him into one of his kind—a vampire. And for 104 years, five months, two days, and fourteen minutes, Edward existed with a group of human-protecting vampires, dedicated to the preservation of human life while surviving on the blood of overpopulated animals. After departing from his long-time family, he wandered into the town of Coeur d' Coeurs, where he had a brief encounter with the Pie-maker. The shock that normally awoke the dead, rejuvenated the dormant heart resting in Edward's long-silent chest, miraciously reversing the venom that made him a vampire, and made him human again.

At the end of this lengthy explanation, Ned shifted the pay phone to his other ear, waiting for Chuck's reply. It came swiftly.

"You're telling me you turned a vampire back into a human?" The shock was evident in her tone. The pie-maker imagined how her brow would furrow in confusion, and her eyes would squint slightly as she examined him. In his mind, she looked beautiful. "Did you know you could do that?"

Ned shuffled his fingers through his hair. "No. I've never really experimented before on any supernatural creatures. It's not really in my field to be studying..."

"Not many vampires hangin' around here, asking to be felt up." Emerson interjected under his breath.

"How is he holding up? I'm sure that's a lot to deal with, what with becoming human and all." Chuck asked, concern dripping from her voice like sweet and sticky honey. The Pie-maker turned back to the hotel room. Through the open curtains, he could see Edward pacing just as nervously and introspectively as he was.

"He seems to be holding up just fine." He lied. The boy seemed to be fraught with confusion. But admitting that sentiment to Chuck would cause her more anxiety than she needed to be subjected to.

"What are you going to do about him?"

To that, the piemaker had no response. He earnestly had no idea what would be done about the former vampire, and now human boy that was suddenly standing in his proximity.

"Chuck, I'm going to call you back and let you know." Before the girl called Chuck could reply with her opinion about how to handle Edward's situation, Ned hung up the phone. He felt infinitely guilty for abruptly ending their conversation, but he had no other option.

He walked back into the hotel room, with Emerson on his heels.

"How are you holding up?" The Pie-maker asked, mimicking Chuck's sweet and concerned tone. The boy merely shrugged. "Well, I hate to be rude and feel like I'm bringing you back to life and shoving you out the door, but if you'd like, we can see if there's a bus or train heading back to Seattle, where you can get back to your family." The pie-maker had a difficult time using the word family, knowing full-well that none of them were related in the legal sense of the word. Not to mention his personal afflictions when it came to the phrase.

"I can't go back there." He said, speaking for the first time with an extremely strong sense of urgency. "It's not safe there."

The piemaker's lips formed a very understanding o-shape. He was human now, and did not want to risk his new humanity for a reunion with his blood-drinking relations.

"Well..." The Pie-maker said as a way of stalling. He had no idea what else to do with the boy named Edward. So out of instinct, he blurted out the first thing that came to mind. "I suppose you could come back with us until you decide what to do."

This offer seemed to satisfy Edward. The same could not be said for Emerson Cod, who's eyes were bulging an unusual distance from his head.

"Can I talk to you for a moment? In _private_?" Emerson said, his angry glare shifting back and forth between Edward and Ned. He and the Pie Maker turned the corner, out of hearing range for the teenage vampire.

Emerson slapped Ned along the shoulder in an act of disparagement. "Boy, are you out of your mind? We can't bring him home; he ain't no stray puppy."

"He's got no where else to go. We can't just leave him here."

"What if this boy has the Cinderella clause working for him? Two hours from now, he starts turning back into a pumpkin, and we're the ones lying on the side of the road with no blood."

Emerson's metaphor was conveyed a very simple message: what if the humanity in Edward was only temporary? Driving back to the Pie Hole could prove disastrous, if the boy's vampiristic tendencies reoccurred.

"I'm not sure this kind of thing just reverses itself, Emerson. Besides, this is my responsibility. I did this to him. I can't just abandon him."

Reluctant to accept defeat, Emerson Cod merely grunted, and turned the corner.

"Second time...pretty soon everybody there gonna be formerly dead..." He grumbled, barely audible to the pie-maker.

* * *

The drive back to the Pie Hole was an awkward and silent one. Refusing to risk his own life, Emerson insisted that the Edward ride shotgun. His theory was that if his newfound humanity was, in fact, a case similar to Cinderella's, then the Private Investigator would be safer with one row of seats between them. Neither Edward, nor the Pie Maker, spoke through the entire ride back. Only the faint sound of the radio played, and the slightly louder sound of Edward's mental cogs grinding could be heard. The pale boy stared pensively out the window, not even stirring when the car screeched to a halt.

Chuck was waiting for them in front of the store, her arms crossed across her body. The pie maker mistook her look of concern for Edward as anger for being hung up on.

"I'm sorry I hung up, but I was always taught its rude to talk about another person's situation with said person present. And Edward just kind of snuck up on me..." He gave her a crooked grin, praying for absolution from the girl he loved dearly.

Chuck smiled back. "I'm not mad at you for hanging up, but thank you for apologizing anyways. How's he doing?" She motioned towards the still figure, pressing his hand against the side of his neck. "Are you taking him to the airport, or will he be spending all night in the car?" Her wry humor remained in the shadows of her concern.

"I believe he's staying with us." The pie maker shuffled his hand through his hair, wishing he had sought her approval before offering.

"Like a stray puppy?" She said through a laugh that sent shivers up the pie maker's spine. "Well, why isn't he coming inside, then?"

Emerson answered the question for the pie maker. "Boy was in a daze up until we pulled in here. Kept checking his pulse and looking out the window like a crazy person."

Chuck ignored the blatant insult and insisted, "We should give him some privacy."

"Girl, you offer him some privacy in your own damn car! I got places to be, crimes to solve."

The girl called Chuck rested her hands upon her hips and raised one eyebrow at the detective. Determining whether or not this statement was a falsehood or not, she waited for more specifics from the private investigator.

"Okay, maybe I don't." He cracked under the pressure of Chuck's watchful eye. "But..."

"No buts." She shoved him slightly, away from the car even further. "I know how confusing and disorienting waking up from the dead can be, but I can't even imagine what kind of confusion he's going through."

For only a moment, Ned wistfully recalled the day he had brought Chuck into his life, unaware he'd been oblivious to any confusion she had been feeling. The only thing he'd noticed was how complete his life had become with her entrance.

Arguing between Chuck and Emerson quickly jarred the pie maker from his recollection.

"I thought you wanted to give him some privacy!" He exclaimed, just as Chuck was opening the car door. She ignored the hypocricy of her actions, and the accusations of it made by Emerson, and slammed the door shut loudly. He turned his frustration towards the pie maker, who was still watching Chuck devotedly. "Dead girl's pushing on my last nerve!"

Edward looked stunned as Chuck entered the driver's seat, smiling sweetly in his direction. "Hi. I'm Charlotte, but you can call me Chuck if you'd like." Her voice was warm and welcoming. Edward continued to look stunned, mixed in with trepidation and panic. "Ned told me everything that happened. I know how one little touch of a finger can completely bend your life into a complete knot. Because right now, my life is the tightest square knot you can imagine because of that one little touch. If you need some time to yourself, to sort things out and make your knot feel like less of a noose, take it. And if you want to talk about it, just know that I'm here."

"Thank you." He whispered. For the first time since his encounter with the pie maker, he smiled. After clearing his throat, he pointed to the diner with the pie-shaped crust. "Is this where you and Ned work?"

Chuck smiled as she realized how amiable Edward was becoming. "Yep, the Pie Hole. Do you want to come in?"

With the most dazzling smile she'd ever seen on anyone, he nodded and put his pale hand on the door handle. He raced across the front of the car and opened the door in a gentlemanly way for Chuck. She thanked him as the two of them, along with Emerson and the pie maker, walked in to the Pie Hole.

As the welcoming bell chimed, Edward stopped walking. Chuck was the first to notice.

"Is something wrong?" She asked as Edward patted down his pockets. His face was contorted in confusion, and he sighed heavily.

"No. But I think I left my cell phone at that hotel." His voice sounded like the vocal equivalent of a deflated balloon.

"We can go back after we close. Do you think anyone would try and get in contact with you before then?" Ned inquired, trying to be as helpful as Chuck had been previously.

Edward paused, not wanting to mention that he merely _hoped _passionately that one person would try and call. But since he knew the improbability and irrationality of it, he answered tersely.

"No."

What Edward was not aware of was that, at that exact moment, his phone was not left behind at the hotel. It was sitting underneath the passenger seat of the pie maker's car. And at that precise moment, his phone was ringing. Not with the caller he'd hoped for, but with news of that desired caller. News that was not so hope-inspiring.

**Two apologies: one, for taking so long for an update. Two, if this chapter sounds like its written in old English. That's what happens when most of it is written while watching Hamlet. :P The next chapter will be in Edward's perspective, getting into his head and how he feels about what's going on. It will be considerably lengthier than these first chapters. But I don't think you'll mind. ;) Anyways, please review! :D**


	4. A very sheltered life

**Chapter Four – a very sheltered life**

This was absolutely the cruelest trick my mind was playing on itself.

To think that with one man's touch, my long-dormant heart could suddenly rejuvenate and pulse loudly. Any second now I would open my eyes from this dream-like state, and return to the nightmare of misery my existence was now. I would be back in that hotel, missing Bella.

Each second passed and this fantasy continued.

I put my fingers on my wrist, counting each steady heartbeat. This was far from improbable, it was absolutely impossible. Turning was absolute, no reversal of any kind.

Yet the faint pulsing of blood through my veins contradicted that.

"Edward?" The man driving, Ned I think, called my name several times. I had been so far away in my contemplations, that this was the first I had heard him. "Would you like to come in?"

I realized that we had stopped, and were waiting outside of a building shaped like a pie. Even I wasn't _that _creative, so I trusted the fantasy as well as I could. But I couldn't bear to leave the car. The world resting outside of it was cruel, and I wouldn't subject myself to it any longer than I could allow. I pretended not to hear him.

The two of them left the car, meeting up with the woman waiting outside. They spoke with animated features, and yet for the life of me, I could not hear them as I'd heard humans before. For once, being in my head was a quiet reprieve instead of a noisy hall. But I suppose humans couldn't be gifted the way that immortals were. If I was going to lose the thirst, I would lose the gift as well.

The word loss only rekindled the heartbreak and desolation I had experienced in the hotel hours ago. Hours. It felt like days had passed, and took me along for the tedious ride. I pressed my fingers on the soft spot my neck, absolutely positive that this was just a reverie. A faint pulse—there was no denying that.

The woman who had been waiting outside for our arrival quickly climbed into the car. Her soft cheeks were smoothed together, like the finest pottery. Just as Bella's had been. "My name's Charlotte, but you can call me Chuck." She spoke quickly, at a rate very similar to Esme when she was cross. Her words were very comforting, unquestionably reminding me of my mother's kindness and hospitality. In one person, she contained the most admirable traits in the most significant women in my existence. It made me feel closer to home.

"Thank you." I whispered, afraid my voice would betray the confidence I was hoping to show. Now that I was beginning to feel comfortable, I determined that perhaps the outside world wasn't as cruel as I'd envisaged. "Is this where you work?"

It did not take her long to suggest we enter the establishment, and I decided that I wasn't going to dip my toes into civility—I was going to jump in, despite the risk of drowning. Out of habit more than anything, I rushed around to open her car door. I noticed simultaneously her grin of approval, and Ned's jealousy burning. Did he truly see competition in a seventeen year old boy?

As we walked through the door, the clanging door reminded me of Alice somehow. The ringing bell triggered the memory of a cell phone, which Alice would no doubt be calling any minute now. If Alice was paying attention to her visions, which I was certain she would, then surely she would have seen my...transformation, of sorts. The bulge in my front pocket, I noticed, was phone-less. I panicked slighltly, and of course Charlotte would have noticed my anxiety.

"Are you alright?" She asked, in that maternal voice of concern. Fearing a massive overreaction, I sought to calm the situation immediately.

"No. I think I left my cell phone at the hotel." If Alice did call in the next few hours, it wouldn't be the end of the world. I made a mental note to call her first, avoid the distress altogether.

Ned mentioned something about going to the hotel to get it, but I barely heard the first part. The question that followed, though. I caught every word. "Do you think anyone would try and contact you before then?"

Before rational could explain the potential of contact from my sister, my wildest fantasies ran away with me. In them, I received a voicemail from Bella, calling my bluff. Telling me that she was waiting for me, and that I should come home immediately. The foolish part of my brain—the sector controlled by my broken heart—actually prayed that would happen.

But none of my hosts needed the gory details, and I just could not rip that wound open. "No."

A petite blonde entered the room briskly from the kitchen area, the absolute perkiest thing I had seen besides Alice in a cheery mood. "What's all the commotion out here...?"

As soon as she laid her eyes on me, she froze instantly. I was used to the stares of curious strangers, so I did not feel the least bit uncomfortable as she examined me.

"Who's your friend?" She asked, her high voice cracking. Her entire body language, along with her shaking voice, proved her true intentions. Without a doubt, she was enamored. With me. That was nauseating.

"Edward Cullen." I offered her my hand, trying to be polite. Carlisle would be disappointed if I was not courteous with everyone here. "Pleasure to meet you."

The woman shook it with no coherent thoughts forming in her eyes. I had dazzled her, as Bella had put it, even as a human. "The pleasure's all mine." She stared into my eyes, as if there were some mysterious truths buried in them. Unfortunately for her, there were none to find.

"Olive, could you get our company something from the kitchen, I'm sure he's starving after such a long trip." Ned cleared his throat, trying to coax my newfound admirer away from my proximity. Perhaps he noticed how uncomfortable I had been near people in general. Or maybe he saw the same love struck glimmer in her eyes that made my stomach turn.

Quick to please me, she scurried off into the kitchen. I mentally prepared myself for what would happen next. I had eaten human food a select number of times, continuing on the façade my family had created. But my core reaction to the rations was that of nausea—how was I to suddenly consume the very things that had despised only hours ago.

"I made it a la mode." Olive declared as she set down the slice of pie on the counter. Strategically, she leaned across the counter, showing off what she felt was an appropriate amount of cleavage to entice me. Clearly she did not realize that I was legally underage. "I hope you like it like that."

"Thank you, Olive. Don't you have some customers?" Ned realized the flirting as well. Perhaps this happened more often than I was aware of.

Olive stood erect, looking around the empty restaurant. "Do you see any customers here, Ned?" Her perky and high voice was suddenly soaked with frustration. I stifled my laughter, and sat down in front of the plate. "I am so sorry. I didn't mean to lose my temper like that around company." She apologized while batting her eyelashes. And then she giggled a high pitch giggle, one that definitely reminded me of Alice. "Sometimes I just can't control myself."

Trying to be subtle, I slid my stool an inch away from the counter. To get closer, she rested her arm on the counter, and her cheek along with it. "So where are you from, Eddie?"

I tried not to grimace as she said that vile nickname Emmett used to aggravate me. "Washington."

"So you must be used to the rain, huh?" She said with a wide smile. I could not deny that she was beautiful, but even as she flirted endlessly, I found myself at a distance with her. Olive was simply not Bella. Nothing would change that, and so my affections towards her would not budge.

"Very used to it." I smiled back through my heavy feeling of discomfort. It was very apparent to me that everyone—Charlotte, Olive, Ned, Emerson—was watching me intently. Like I was sitting in a fishbowl, and they had just brought me home from the pet store. It was strangely unnerving, and I then realized that they were merely waiting for me to try the pie sitting in front of me.

There was no more time to postpone experimenting with human food.

I scooped up a fragment of pie, braced for the worst possible reaction. With no visible, but very apparent mental, hesitation I put the dessert in my mouth. And it astonished me how gratifying it was. My mental bracing had been superfluous; the reaction I experienced was nothing near nausea. The apples were tender and sweet, each molecule dancing on my tongue. My hestitance was erased, and I continued shoveling the delicious treat until there were only crumbs floating in melted ice cream left.

"You sure are hungry!" Olive exclaimed, her lips pulled back into a face-crinkling grin. "I'll go get you another slice."

She scurried off into the kitchen, and I was nearly twitching with anticipation. The flirtatious blonde simply could not return with the new plate of pie fast enough. I raced towards the plate the millisecond she set it before me. Unwilling to waste time, I lowered my mouth closer towards the section, cutting down travel time from the plate to my hungry lips.

"I love a man with a healthy appetite..." Olive said, her voice filled with hope and despair in absolute synchronization. "Say, Eddie, do you have a girlfriend?"

I put my fork down, and looked up in horror. The sweetness of the pie turned sour at the thought of my current love life?"

Ned intervened by clapping his hands together once. "Okay, Olive! I think Edward's had enough excitement from you for today, why don't we go in the kitchen and give him some time alone." He struggled with Olive until they were back in the kitchen, but she wasn't completely out of view. From the large window, I saw her svelte figure sweeping along the floor. It was an intentional move to stay within my eyeline. I returned to the pie, devouring the good three fourths left on my plate.

"Good, huh?" Chuck said, taking a seat next to me. Unlike Olive, she had no intentions of prying into my love life. Or lack thereof.

It was my decision that honesty would be best. "I haven't had food..." Olive's attracted glare snapped up to mine, and I realized she was the only one unaware of the whole story. I amended, "this delicious in a while." That wasn't a lie, it was simply a blatant omission of details. There had not been anything I had ever consumed in the last one hundred plus years of my existence that had been so sweet.

With only one exception. Something I had only tasted once, in Phoenix.

The rest of the day was quiet, for which I was both grateful and terrified of. I had concluded that the raining weather was hindering their number of customers, and therefore increasing their sheer boredom. Charlotte wandered around the restaurant, wiping tables needlessly and offering me more treats. Unwilling to make a glutton of myself, even now, I began declining politely. Despite the calling of sugariness in their treats. Ned stayed back in the kitchen, experimenting with different fruits. And Olive stayed near the cappuccino machine, only glancing at me every once in a while. I assumed that Ned had mentioned my physical age of seventeen, and that put an end to all flirtations.

And they all gave me distance, which gifted me with time to think.

I had to make a decision. Tracking Victoria was not possible now. I had no means to defend myself, physical or otherwise. My gift for mindreading was gone, as were most of my vampire traits. I was gradually becoming slower in motion. I couldn't pick up on details as well as I'd previously done. Most of all, I was breakable. Going after her would be suicide.

Which forced even more painful memories upon me. What was I to do about Bella? I had promised her a human life with no reminders of her vampire boyfriend, but now that I was no longer an immortal... I had spent so many weeks praying that she would move on, but now I found myself praying that she had waited for me. I was so conflicted, that my head began to hurt with so many conflicting choices. If I were to attempt to contact her now, would I still subject her to the same risks that I had before? With no means to protect her physically, I would still be as dangerous as I'd been before.

But my now-beating heart was splintering. It missed the only thing that made it feel complete.

I was grateful when Ned informed me we were closing. He offered to drive me up to the hotel to look for my phone. But I saw the deep creases of exhaustion in his face, and so I politely declined. There would time in the morning to retrieve the device; the man who had given me life deserved some rest.

Charlotte was polite enough to set up a spread on the couch for me to sleep—pillow, sheet, comforter. Just as I was about to lay down, my stomach growled noisily. I offered to get myself a piece of pie, and she handed me the key to the kitchen. It was astounding how quickly she trusted me. For all she knew, I could have been a scam artist. But she put faith in me that I would only perform the act I had stated. I would not violate that trust if it killed me.

I was feeling drowsy after finishing off a whole tin of strawberry rhubarb. And there was something oddly comforting about the booths in the Pie Hole. Their colors soothed me somehow, and I figured this was just as good as any place to try and sleep. I dashed up to the apartment, slid the key under their door, and ran straight back. Locking the door behind me, I flipped the lights off. An eternity of endless nights were about to conclude, and I was nervous. There had been plenty of times that I had feigned sleep for appearances sake, but I had no idea how to actually fall asleep.

It was strange as I yawned for the first time. I had seen it done in movies and on television; I'd watched Bella do it countless times. But the relief it brought, I could have never imagined. This was the body's way of saying to get some rest, and I obeyed its orders.

And so I nestled into one of the booths, closed my eyes, and fell asleep.

That night, I dreamt of Bella. And it was the closest thing to happiness I had felt since that night in the woods.

**Thanks to everyone who has been reviewing faithfully! :D I appreciate them.  
Please review anyways though!  
Also, read and review "La Vita Nuova" by RedHeadedBelle (I am a big fan and also a beta for this fine piece of work) It's under my favorites on my profile.  
The new Chapter of The Facts Were These will be up soon *hopefully* :)**

**~Iwillbetherewhereyouare**


	5. We need them to be happy

**Chapter Five – we need them to be happy**

The next morning, Chuck entered the Pie Hole, only to find their guest sleeping on one of the vinyl seats of their corner booth. She couldn't help but notice how peaceful his pale face looked as he slept, how happy he looked. The expression he wore was the same as the pie maker's when he was sleeping. She would always ask what made him look so happy while he slept, and he always replied that he was dreaming of her.

Feeling Chuck's presence, or perhaps finally well-rested, Edward slowly stirred.

"You could've slept on the couch, you know." She whispered, leaning in real close.

"I hate imposing." He yawned and stretched, "You haven't a clue how good sleep is after 100-some years of all-nighters." He chuckled wryly, sitting up.

"So what's her name." Chuck asked, settling herself into the seat across from Edward. She rested her chin on her hands, and waited patiently for a response.

Edward looked baffled. "Whose name?"

She chuckled, shifting her body to a slightly more comfortable position. One hand on her cheek, the other arm across the top of the table. "The girl you were dreaming about." Edward blushed, only proving her theory. "I recognized that happy, love-struck look on your dreaming face."

"Her name is Bella." He whispered after a while, though there was no need to speak softly. He did not mention that he got chills by merely mentioning her name. Or that the thought of her made his pulse race faster than a jaguar.

"Don't you miss her? Now that you're here and she's so far away?"

He nodded. "Even though I miss her more than anything, I had to leave. I had to protect her, and leaving was the only way I knew how."

"That doesn't sound like protecting her if you're so far away." Chuck shifted once more, bringing herself even closer to Edward. "What if something happens to her while you're far, far away, with no means of returning to protect her?"

He shook his head. "_My_ presence was the biggest threat. The only threat to her safety."

"I'm not so sure I believe that, even if you actually were a vampire."

"And your lack of faith in my judgement is...?"

"You love her far too much to ever hurt her. I could see that in your face as you were sleeping."

He scoffed. "Clearly you don't know the whole story."

Chuck shifted, her hand still on her cheek, looking endlessly comfortable. "Try me."

And so he told her every sordid detail. How he nearly killed the girl named Bella that he loved dearly the first time he met her. How she narrowly escaped death by an evil vampire named James. How disasterous the papercut at her birthday party had been, and forced him to leave his only love.

At the end of his story, Chuck remained unconvinced. "You need to go back to her. You love her. None of the things you told me were your fault, and you're clearly hurting her much more than you're protecting her right now."

"But..." Edward stammered, but Chuck interrupted before he could find his place.

"You're human now. There's no excuse."

Edward looked into Chuck's eyes, and could very clearly see the reason why the pie-maker was so desperate to keep her in his life. She was beautiful and sweet.

Just as he put his feet on the ground, determined to return to his home-town sweetheart, the door of the Pie Hole chimed softly. Even though the shop would not be opened for another twenty minutes, a short, mysterious, pixie-like girl stood in their doorway. Ned and Emerson--who had arrived in the middle of Edward's story with details of a potential case—both returned to the room at her arrival. Her gold eyes examined around the room, desperate for only one person.

"Edward!" She called out, her voice trembling with a range of emotions. No one, except for Edward, understood who she was or why she was here.

"Alice?" He said, only slightly confused. He was aware of her powers of precognition, so his newfound humanity would not have been a surprise to her. But why was she here? Edward stepped cautiously towards her, silently conversing with her.

"You should go and talk to her. Do some sleuthing." The pie maker carefully nudged Emerson, wanting to find out the details of this new guest's arrival.

Emerson took one cautious step away from the small female. "I ain't dealing with no vampires. I like living too much."

She smirked, slightly marred by insult. "I'm not going to kill you. You hardly seem appealing, even with how long it's been since I've fed."

He shuddered, no comfort in her cold words. "You should write for Hallmark."

"I'll keep it in mind." She smiled, but her face swiftly turned to a very serious expression. "Edward, I need to talk to you."

"So do I." Edward said, nearly bouncing with absolute giddiness. He could not wait to share the good news of his pending reunion.

"I already know you're human." She said impatiently, thinking that was his surprise announcement. In all actuality, it wasn't.

"He's getting on the train tonight so he can see Bella." Chuck interjected, just as excited about his plan.

"That's what I'm here to tell you!" She exclaimed, her high-pitched voice fraught with despondency. "Edward, Bella is dead."

**dun dun dun... :P I'm trying to make it parallel with New Moon as much as possible. Well... sort of...you'll see. But only if you review! :D Thanks for the support so far. Let's continue and i promise I won't leave you hanging long!**

~IWillBeThereWhereYouAre


	6. Luck pushed me first

**Chapter Six – Luck pushed me first**

Denial was my friend, at first. "That's…not possible, Alice."

Alice took one step towards me, her hand twitching towards mine. A comforting gesture, but there was no need for it. There was just no feasible option of Bella being dead. "I've been trying to call you all night."

I put up my mental barricade, refusing to allow any negative images to permeate. "You must have seen wrong. It's happened before..." Phoenix came to mind. So did her red-eyed future for Bella. She does not come with an ironclad guarantee, and I knew that.

"I'm not wrong." The rigidity in her voice—it was inarguable. "You need to sit down, unless you actually _want _to pass out in my arms."

I followed her orders, still mentally reeling. After I sat down in one of the booths, she handed me a tattered piece of paper, torn haphazardly from a newspaper. A death notice in Forks' newspaper. This wrinkled page proved without uncertainty what Alice had stated at arrival.

Bella, gone. I could not fathom it.

I could only manage to get one coherent word from my bumbling lips. "How?"

"She was swimming. Diving alone, no less." The chuckle that came from her lips was ironic and the driest sound I'd ever heard.

"Bella promised." I growled, unsure where my anger should have been directed. At Bella, for her recklessness? At Alice? Shooting the messenger seemed the appropriate phrase at that moment.

"She didn't know how strong the tides were, and by the time someone got in to save her, it was too late." As if her actions were defensible.

Hysterics began replacing every ounce of control I held. "Why…why didn't you stop this! If you saw her...why didn't you stop this?" I didn't' realize I was yelling until the last word.

"By the time I saw it, it was too late to do anything."

I could not blame Alice. There was only person deserving of condemnation.

"This can't be happening." I chanted, both mentally and aloud. As if the repetition could reverse fate and revive my lost love. The longer I thought of her, the deeper into despair I fell. If I hadn't left, or if I had gone back sooner, I could have saved her.

"She was on La Push territory." Alice spoke before I could contemplate any possible alterations to this desolate scenario. And her words were cold comfort—even if I had been there, she probably would have...

At that thought—Bella's beautiful crimson faded, laying in an eternal sleep—my watering eyes flooded and the levees broke. Red-hot and stinging tears fell down my face and I was uncertain emotion I felt was appropriate. There had been countless weeks of grieving that I needed the act of crying so bad it merely added to desolation. And now here I was, human as ever, crying my eyes out. Should I celebrate these grieving tears, or would the irony in them alone kill me?

Alice wrapped her arms around me, careful not to crush my stupid fragile body. As I heaved and sobbed in her cold arms, she said nothing. Allowed me to lament in uninterrupted silence. My dejection nearly choked me when I finally tried to speak.

"There's nothing left for me here." I spoke into her hard skin.

She knew the destination of this conversation. She had been there in Phoenix; she'd seen my contingency plans. And she knew I had no intentions of living in a Bella-less world. How sadistic was it—at the precise moment that Bella's humanity was sacrificed, I was given a new life.

"Wait." I said, a barrage of ideas flying through my head at lightening speed. I looked up from Alice's embrace towards Ned. "When you brought me to life, you thought I was dead. How exactly does that work?"

He stammered at first, obviously uncomfortable discussing his special abilities. Perhaps he would feel more at ease if he knew of my mind-reading past.

Before I could get the details I was seeking, Alice smiled slowly. "Of course. Why didn't I think of that?" She looked at me with one eyebrow raised. "I believe you have a favor to ask." Her white hand motioned towards Ned, a know-it-all grin on her lips. I caught on instantly.

"Would you consider...bringing my girlfriend back to life?"

The air was tense with an unspoken mystery. Ned, Emerson, and Charlotte all glanced at each other, secrets buried in their eyes.

Ned cleared his throat and broke the silence. "If you want or need a goodbye for closure, I would be happy to oblige. But she can't stay alive for longer than a moment or..."

The thick air of silence returned like a black cloud of doom.

"Or...?" I remained the only one in the darkness of unanswered questions.

"Or else someone will die in her place." Only Alice could break the grim news. Her know-it-all glare darkened slightly, and not out of thirst. She knew of a plan that, if given the time, I would have concoted myself. But now I was equipped with the necessary information, and I knew what needed to be done.

Bella did not deserve death, and I would do whatever it took to give her the life she deserved.

"What if I knew that, and asked you to keep her alive irregardless?"

Ned looked very hesitant. "I hate to be selective about who I choose to let live and who to let die. I'm not a masochist, and I have the furthest thing away from a God complex."

"I think you should let him do it." Chuck declared, and in a knee-jerk reaction, everyone in the room snapped towards her sinewy figure. "No one is implying you're a masochist by fulfilling this poor boy's request."

"It would work." Alice guaranteed. "They're a cosmic match, so to speak."

"What are you fools blabber-jabbering about?" Emerson asked, the only one in the room completely oblivious to the implications of my request.

"If Ned were to keep Bella alive for longer than a minute, a person in near proximity would need to balance the cosmos and die in her place." Alice explained slowly, anticipating the private investigator to put the pieces together on his own. When he did not, she sighed heavily and became as sharp as a pencil. "Edward is going to be that person to balance it out."

The room seemed to spin at that statement, but not out of regret or hesitation. It felt so...right.

"I'm not sure my conscience would allow me to do that." Ned continued to stammer, looking nedlessly guilty.

"It's my choice." I said firmly. "If this is a matter of money, I would be more than happy to comensate you." In previous experience, bringing up financial compensation _always _persuaded better than logic.

Emerson perked up. I had peaked his interest, thanks to the acknowledgement of money. But the only person who needed urging—the only person who would bring the girl I loved back to life—looked unswayable.

"While I'm sure believers in tithes will dispute this, I don't believe that a monetary amount will ease the guilt of causing death. Specifically, your death."

Emerson coughed out a laugh. "Yeah, like that's stopped you before." He nodded towards Charlotte, and grinned smugly. "Myself on the other hand, I am a firm believer in this young boy and the strength of his love for old what's-her-name."

"Bella." Charlotte and I said simultaneously, though I sounded far more aggravated than she.

"Right." He said with an over-the-top smile. He was trying too hard, so desperate for a payout that he would fake sincerity to achieve it. I didn't care. As long as he would convince Ned to bring Bella back,

Alice said nothing. Her anger over my choice was apparent in her rigid silence.

"Agreeing to do this does not in any way indicate partiality towards this plan."

I silently cheered. Bella would return to her exquisite breathing self, and I would take her place in death. My final gift to her.

**The lack of response to my postings is very disheartening. I understand it's the holidays and everyone's busy, but I'm a paranoid pessimist, so I'm taking it personally. Reviews or not, I'm too involved with the stories to quit. So for my sanity's sake, please review.**


	7. Everything's a choice

**Happy New Year everybody! Apologies for the delay, but scholarship essays, massive research projects, and a severe sleep defecit interrupted my planned posting. :P Whatever. Anyways, here it is!**

**Chapter Seven – Everything's a Choice**

To be facing death, I was feeling unusually calm. Almost serene. As soon as the plane landed, I would be reunited with my beautiful Bella. The only person in the world I would make this sacrifice for.

This may have been psychosis, but it was not important. I loved Bella more than anything. More than life itself. And now, I was prepared to sacrifice everything for her.

I looked over at Alice, her face still and calm.

"You really aren't going to try and stop me?" I asked, confused. It was always Alice dissuading every injudicious plots of mine or any member of our family. Besides Esme, she was the voice of reason in the family. And now her voice remained silent.

"It would be wasted energy." She replied, her face still oddly calm. "Do you plan on changing your mind?" I shook my head. "Then why bother? Even if I think what you're doing is completely irrational..."

"You know why I have to do it this way." She grunted, though I knew she agreed. "I could never be that selfish, to take another life so I could stay with Bella."

"I wouldn't consider that selfish. I think it's kind of noble, albeit ill-advised."

"Neither of those are my goal." I rolled my eyes. All I was concerned about was Bella's well-being, and her long and human life. "This is the only way I know how to save her."

"If only you had turned her, we could have avoided this whole mess."

"Yeah, well." I shrugged. There were plenty of ways I could have prevented this whole fiasco, or ways I could have spared Bella as an unfortunate casualty. But contemplating modifications in past events was pointless—I was on the right course, headed for my ultimate destination.

The next fifteen minutes were filled with palpable tension. Alice, with her frustration and grieving, and I with my tenacity, looked in every direction but at each other. And the serenity I had experienced earlier was quickly replaced with aggravation. This was not how I wanted to spend my final hours with my dearest sister.

"What I don't understand..." I finally spoke, bringing up one issue that had been perplexing me all night. "Why me? Why was I the only one who was turned human?"

"As much as I hate to say it..." Alice said, a little bit of frustration smoldering in her dark eyes. "It literally was just luck of the draw. I saw it twelve hours before you went to the hotel, and I've been wracking my brain. And I've come up with nothing."

"I don't deserve this."

"Edward, I've known you for how long?" Too long, in my biased opinion. She continued before I could reply with an exact answer. "Optimism never was your strong suit."

I chuckled wryly. "Very true." But I couldn't help but think that this would go _right_. Or at the very least, hope that it would.

* * *

My heart began to race when we landed, and pulsed even harder when we reached Forks. The green moss that should have felt like home, instead only caused my chest to throb. In only a few minutes, I would be reunited with my heart. Every memory I had locked away—locked out of self-preservation—erupted in my head in splendor. Every word whispered in sleeping state, every glance, every sweet breath taken in and out. They were now as fresh in my mind as if she were sitting in Alice's newly-aqquired vehicle along me. That comforted me slightly, given the task at hand.

I would only have one minute to explain the blasphemy of that day in the woods. How could I effectively show her the truth buried beneath those wretched lies, with only sixty seconds to my name? Or would I be so stunned by her presence that my mouth would only stand agape in stunned wonder?

"I hate to be a naysayer, but I'm not exactly comfortable right now." Ned exclaimed, jolting me from my reverie with his shrieking voice.

"What's wrong?" Alice asked, not aware of the problem.

"For starters, we are most definitely driving a minimum of 100 miles an hour faster than the speed limit. And as an added bonus, we are currently sitting in a stolen car from the airport." His panic reminded me of Bella, the first time I had driven her. Her complaints of my driving…

"Don't you like a little danger?" Alice asked with a wild grin, only removing her foot a small fraction of an inch off the pedal.

"On the contrary. Caution is my middle name. And while some insist that Danger is a close relative to most people, it is in fact a very distant, twice-removed cousin to me."

"You can relax." Alice said, the irony apparent as the car squealed noisily to a stop. "We're here."

I looked out the window---the rain slowly trickling down, transitioning to a full downpour. We were here—the only funeral home in Forks. The room where Bella was, unknowingly, waiting for us. My resolve strengthened as Alice, Ned and I entered one by one.

I'm not entirely sure how Ned and Alice convinced the sole living occupant of the funeral home to give myself time alone. Knowing Alice, she had him in the palm of her tiny little hand. But Ned and I walked past, and he briefed me on their plan.

"It's closed casket so Alice is going to..." He swallowed hard. "Swap bodies. No one will know."

"Can I have one moment alone with him?" Alice asked quietly, keeping her hands in her designer jean pockets. "I hope you realize how much we'll miss you." She said as Ned wandered elsewhere. "Even Rosalie."

I chuckled, becoming wholly aware of the finality of this. I was saying goodbye to the closest, dearest sister I had. It was an appropriate warm-up for the final goodbye. But it did not lessen the pain of saying goodbye to Alice.

"I don't believe I've ever thanked you, for all you've done."

"Don't mention it." She grinned, but yet she seemed full of...remorse? I couldn't tell for certain. "You don't have to worry—I'll explain everything to Bella."

That calmed me. I could spend my last seconds with the beautiful girl I loved, and not worry about logistics. Alice wrapped her arms around me in the tightest hug possible, and it sounded like she whispered an apology to me. Maybe she was sorry she could not have prevented Bella's death. Maybe she regretted the lost future she forsaw for the two of us. Either way, a piece of me was sorry as well.

"Love you." I kissed the top of her spiky-black hair, trying to steady my emotions. I would not spend my last minute with Bella weeping my eyes out.

And she danced off, no doubt preparing for her caper following my death. With Ned at my side, I walked into the room where my true heart lay, sleeping.

She looked so peaceful; once again, her beauty took my breath away. She looked like this was just a very restful sleep—a foolish part of me expected her eyes to suddenly open on their own, or her lips to start flying in her normal sleep talk. Yes, imprudently wished that things did not have to be this way. But I knew what I was sacrificing, in order for her guiltless happiness.

Ned slipped a small silver pocket watch in my hand, half-heartedly smiling at me. "So you know how long you have left." I nodded in approval, taking in slow and jagged breaths. I had faced dangerous predators more times than anyone should, but I had never been as nervous as I was standing there.

As Ned touched the bridge of her nose, a small shock jolted through her and brought her back to life. One deep breath and those beautiful brown eyes were looking up at me in bewilderment.

"I will give you two some privacy." Ned mentioned as he raced out of the door. I regretted that I would never get the chance to properly thank him. My Bella began to stir, resting on her arms, looking around curiously.

"What's going on?" Bella's voice, a small whisper, entered the empty room. Just like waking from a dream, that was how she looked. I could not help but smile. I could remember her voice with chrystal-clear precision, but my memory still could not do it justice.

"Hello." I spoke, my voice just as soft as hers. There were thousands of well-rehearsed words that I longed to tell her, but there was just no time.

"Edward?" Confusion with a subtle hint of excitement. My heart sung in uneven rhythyms as she spoke my name.

I looked down at my watch. My time was running out. Feeling brave and a little desperate, I reached out and brushed her cheek. Just as soft and warm as I'd remembered. "What I wouldn't give for a lifetime to explain everything to you."

"What are you..." She said, naturally flinching away from me in upheaval.

Alice will explain everything, I reminded myself.

"Please forgive me. I am fortune's fool." Shakespeare's words felt oddly appropriate. Perhaps that subtle hint would jog Bella's memory, help provide her clarity. My time was nearly up. I took one step back, against my free will. If I'd had my way, I would spend the rest of my life in Bella's arms. But I had to save _her _that wretched feeling, of me dying in her arms. "I'm sorry."

And before she could ask another question or contest my action, I closed my eyes. With her flawless face smiling back at me—if only in my memory--the darkness would soon take hold of me.

The floor would be the last sensation I would ever have.

**Death threats will not be tolerated. The bright side is that there is a teensy bit more, kind of deal with the consequences of Edward's choice. Please review!**

**~IWillBeThereWhereYouAre**


	8. I'm not sorry you're alive

**This is it. The final chapter. I just want to thank you all for your support. I'm glad I'm not the only Twilight/Pushing Daisies fan out there! And once again, no death threats will be tolerated. ;)**

**I own none of the publicly recognized characters mentioned in this story. Sad…**

**Chapter Eight – I'm not sorry you're alive**

As Edward took in one of his numbered breaths and prepared himself for both the awakening of his true love Bella Swan and for his impending death, several very important facts remained outside of his awareness. And in the shadows of this ambiguity, his sister-of sorts Alice plotted along with the pie maker.

The facts were these. As the Pie Maker handed the former vampire a watch to mark his last minute with her, he failed to mention one minor detail: this watch was not an ordinary watch. In fact, it was a broken watch that did not count one minute as sixty seconds, but as forty five seconds. Knowing that Edward would close his eyes and wait for death to come approximately fifteen seconds before his allotted time was up, Alice Cullen waited. And in all actuality it was not death that left young Edward Cullen on the floor—instead, it was a young vampire named Alice.

The pie maker insisting that he give the doomed lovers some privacy was not out of compassion, but a survival instinct. He was well aware of Alice's plan to bring Bella back from the dead, and turn Edward back into a vampire before death could take him first. And before random proximity could choose him to replace Bella in the life after, he put as much distance between him and the funeral home as possible in one minute.

Unfortunately for Mike Newton, his life ended after eighteen years, one month, seven days and thirteen hours. The official coroner's report would tell of a blood vessel bursting in his brain, but the truth was that Michael simply had the misfortune of showing up to the funeral twenty minutes too early.

Ned, the Pie Maker with the miracle touch, went back home to his childhood sweetheart. And Edward, the boy who had gone from vampire to human, had his cinderella clause run out.

* * *

"What happened?" I groaned, a fire pulsing throughout me. This wasn't human, and it certainly wasn't as painful as transformation. Was this what Hell felt like, then? I looked up, very aware that I was on the floor, and the first face that I saw was hers. As long as we were together, I would take whatever fire was thrown at me.

"You tell me." She sounded cross. Not that she didn't have every right to be. I sat myself up, the fire slowly dimming.

"You were dead, and I was human." Out loud, that sounded like the most psychotic delusion imaginable. But I knew it was the truth, deep down in my heart. Heart... I put my hand over my chest and felt the drastically slowing down rhythym of the pulse.

"That's...kind of my fault." Alice spoke an apologetic grin. "Sorry about that."

"What's going on...am I?" Realization was kicking in. My veins were running ice cold, and there was only one possible explanation. "I'm a vampire again."

"Well don't sound too happy about it. It's better than being dead." Bella said, standing up. Still angry with me. "I still can't believe you were going to do that, for only me."

"You told her." I accused Alice. Moments ago, that thought had comforted me. Why was I so upset about it now?

"This is my cue to exit." Alice said, meandering towards the door. She exited in a flash. I leaned myself up against the nearest wall—even though I still had no idea where I had been taken. We were most certainly not in the funeral home any longer.

"How long was I out?" I braced myself for the answer.

"About a day." She answered, taking a seat along side me. There was a noticeable chasm between us, and my brain began debating whether I wanted that space or needed to close it immediately. "Apparently the time it takes for transformation varies with the amount of blood you actually have."

"Apparently." I whispered. A sweet yet painful silence swept through the room.

"I need some answers, Edward." Her beautiful brown eyes were darker than I had ever seen them before. And the lines in her face indicated months of stress.

"Well, what I think happened was..."

"Not about what happened with Ned—Alice filled me in while you were out." She looked down, and started knotting her hands nervously. "I mean... why did it matter to you if I was dead or not."

"You should know the answer to that."

"Well, I don't. So fill in the blanks for me." Her eyes softened slightly as she realized how irate she sounded. "Please."

As I fought to explain my motives to her, I found myself struggling for words. "It didn't seem fair to me that someone like myself should get a second chance at the expense of someone like yourself."

She pinched the bridge of her nose, and closed her eyes. That answer _still _did not satisfy her. I would be forced to delve even deeper. "I did not want to exist in a world without you, human or not." I answered, as frankly as I could. That answer, though it seemed to satisfy her slightly, she was still longing. Longing for clarity.

I took in a deep breath—I was given a second chance, and I was determined to make it count. "I lied. That day in the woods." We collectively winced, both hoping to forget that wretched day. "I said what I needed to say so that you could let go and move on."

"Because you were trying to protect me." She added in a voice void of any emotion.

"Terrific job I did, I must say." The laughter, however wry it was meant to be, came out like poison. "Have I effectively filled in your blanks, love?"

"I think I'm getting it." She said slowly, the information sinking in. I would wait an eternity if necessary. As long as I would see her beautiful face as she figured things out, I would stand by stoically.

"There's something I need to tell you." She said, after another sweeping silence. My stomach dropped—this was the other shoe, prepared to smash me to the ground. She had done as I'd intended, and she had moved on. Dejection tore through me. "While you were..."

I stood to leave, realizing we were back in our home. Whether I felt more comfortable or not knowing my surroundings, I couldn't be sure. Bella's pending confession had my flight instinct kicking in uncontrollably.

"Stay." She urged, the lines of stress returning to her fragilly pale cheeks. I froze, unwilling to cause her any more anxiety. "Everyone in town thinks I'm dead. There's a headstone in the cemetery with my name on it. One of _your _rationales on keeping me human was remaining inconspicuous." She paused, taking in a very deep breath. Her ranting left her breathless, and her magnificence did the same to me endlessly. "We wouldn't have to worry about someone looking for me if you were to turn me now."

This was not where I had anticipated the conversation heading. "I can't..."

"While you were out, we held a vote. It's not a matter of aging anymore, it's simply a matter of vulnerability and…"

Now I was lost. "Not a matter of aging? What are you talking about?"

"I'm never going to physically look older than I do right now." Knowing Bella, that probably relieved her immensely. The factor of age had been significant to her. She hated the fact that she would look older while I stayed young.

I pinched the bridge of my nose and closed my eyes, mirroring Bella's previous actions. "You held a vote?" That was the only notion I could wrap my head around at the moment.

"On whether I would be turned into a vampire." I knew the results. My gift had been returned as my heart had stopped. Alice was practically shouting the results at me, along with some I-Told-You-So's.

"Then why did you wait?" There was no logic left for my spiraling thoughts.

She bit her bottom lip, and flushed into a beautiful shade of pink. "Because...I'd like you to be the one to do it."

Tonight I could not seem to get my feet on the ground. There were far too many revelations to comprehend. "You want..._me_..."

Bella looked suddenly assured as she intervened. Perhaps she saw the anxiety attack that was creeping up on me. "We don't have to talk about it tonight." Ironic, considering she had always been the instigator on this issue. "We'll have some time to hammer out the details, right?" Her confidence had dissipated at that last sentence. She looked to me with hopeful eyes, as if she needed assurance that time was on our side.

"I can promise you that, love." I rested my hand on hers, realizing how whole I felt now. Her touch completed me, the final piece in the puzzle.

At my promise, the chasm between us was sealed. Hopefully for all eternity. She rested her soft cheek against my shoulder, her hand still placed under mine.

"You were human, huh?" She asked softly, and I drank in every whisper. "That sounds like an interesting story."

I chuckled, savoring this new sensation of no longer feeling fractured and incomplete. I kissed her chocolate brown hair, letting her smell burn down my throat. "You haven't heard the half of it."

**The End.**


	9. AUTHOR'S NOTE

**This is an author's note, NOT a chapter.**

I swore I would never resort to doing one of these, but frankly for something this exciting for me I just couldn't resist.

As an early Christmas present to all of you amazing FF readers/writers, I have decided to indulge myself and write another Pushing Daisies/Twilight story. :D I have literally been planning this since about a week after I finished **The Facts Were These, **but never really was inspired enough to put pen to paper and get the thing written. So I have posted the prologue to gather some feedback on whether or not people want to read.

So check it out on my profile! :D Happy holidays everybody!

XO,  
**~IWillBeThereWhereYouAre**


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